26:3 "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will ..." [bless you incredibly...] "11 I will live among you, and I will not despise you. 12 I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.
On the contrary, 26:14-39 explains all the bad stuff that would happen if the Israelites turned from Him, and the bad news is that they end up experiencing all that stuff. But, God is faithful, and verses 40-46 explain that He will forgive them when they repent, and He will never destroy them completely because of His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
We talked about Samson in our Bible Life Group yesterday, and I think the comparison of Samson to Samuel and John the Baptist is interesting. All three were Nazirites from birth; the latter two were faithful to that call and essentially proved verses 3-13. Samson, however, was nearly entirely disobedient, and I think he was a symbol of the nation of Israel, which, as we know from Hebrews, is an example for us Christians.
Here's the truth that is explained in Scripture here and the truth that I've experienced in my life. When you live the Christian life of obedience by faith, then you experience the abundant life Christ promised - full of joy, peace, love, and purpose. But when you live a life of disobedience, you are on the receiving end of discipline and difficulties that God allows to occur as wake-up calls.
I feel like I'm really trying to obey God these days. I really want Him to be my boss in everything. I want to be completely obedient to Him and see His name glorified among the nations. I want to live like a Nazirite - completely devoted to God. I will deny myself certain "freedoms" for the sake of keeping my relationships with God and my wife pure. I will be careful what I watch on television and what I see on the Internet, not because I'm following a list of rules and regulations, but because my relationships with God and my wife mean more to me than recreation/entertainment that might compromise the purity of those relationships. Besides, there are plenty of alternative choices that are way more constructive (e.g., throwing the Frisbee, going for a walk, etc.).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me love you. Please turn my heart toward you. I want to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I pray that my whole day would be totally devoted to you, and I pray that every aspect of my life would be completely devoted to you and honor your name. Please be my God, I want to be part of your people. God, please correct me when I'm wrong, and give me much grace. It is only by your grace that I may stand; I am nothing without you. I pray that I would be connected to the vine and produce much fruit, that the Master Gardner may receive all the praise. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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